Abigail Disney Arrested!

For years, Walt Disney’s great-niece, Abigail Disney, has been at odds with Disney’s leadership. Ms. Disney famously gave up most of her shares in the company and stepped away because she felt she did not do anything to earn her position or her money. Ms. Disney has also been very vocal in criticizing Disney for its low Cast Member wages while its executives rake in millions. Ms. Disney even made a documentary calling out the company she once loved for the “poverty level wages” it pays its Cast Members who work so hard every single day.

Credit: Sportsfile, FlickrMs. Disney has always made it clear that she thinks that CEOs need to stop being greedy and pay their employees more than a living wage. Bob Iger and other CEOs like Apple’s Tim Cook are currently at a retreat known as Billionaire’s Summer Camp. Most, if not all of, them took private jets to get there. Ms. Disney joined with other climate activists to protest the use of private jets because of how bad they are for the planet. It was during this protest that something happened to Ms. Disney that has not happened before.

She was arrested.

News of Ms. Disney’s arrest was shared on Twitter by New York Communities For Change:

BREAKING: Abigail Disney and 12 climate activists arrested for shutting down private East Hampton airport where celebrities and the ultra rich take their private jets to the beach. It’s time to ban private jets and tax the rich so we can all live!

BREAKING: Abigail Disney and 12 climate activists arrested for shutting down private East Hampton airport where celebrities and the ultra rich take their private jets to the beach.

It’s time to ban private jets and tax the rich so we can all live!#StormtheHamptons pic.twitter.com/ZubHWEJczW

— New York Communities for Change (@nychange) July 14, 2023

Later that afternoon, Ms. Disney announced that it was the first time she had ever been arrested.

At 63 I still had not popped my fingerprint/mug shot cherry so I did this. Because the last thing this planet needs is billionaires spewing greenhouse gases to get to their palatial beach homes. Just so wrong.

At 63 I still had not popped my fingerprint/mug shot cherry so I did this. Because the last thing this planet needs is billionaires spewing greenhouse gases to get to their palatial beach homes. Just so wrong. https://t.co/lkGxmXBfwK

— Abigail Disney (@abigaildisney) July 14, 2023

After she was released from jail, Ms. Disney shared a statement with Fox News, whose article she also shared.

“As a person who has been privileged enough to use private jets, I know it’s hard to give up a luxury that is special. But I also know that the time has passed for spewing greenhouse gasses like this merely for our personal comfort.”

“The events of the past week alone, with Earth’s average temperature hitting an all time high, drought and fatal heat waves across the country, floods in Vermont and New York, and ocean temperatures around Florida well over 90 degrees, should remove all doubt once and for all,” she added. “The wealthiest 1% uses as much greenhouse gas as the entire bottom 50%. It is time for real change and this is the most obvious place to start.”

According to the police reports, Ms. Disney and her fellow climate activists had blocked off the entrance to the East Hampton Airport. The Hamptons are one of the wealthiest areas in New York, where millionaires and billionaires often vacation in the summer. The East Hampton Airport is a private airport, meaning that they only handle private jets and private charter flights.

Bob Iger is typically considered very popular amongst Disney fans. However, he has recently faced a slew of backlash in the wake of Hollywood’s actors’ union — SAG-AFTRA — going on strike. Iger called SAG-AFTRA’s demands “unrealistic.” People wasted no time in calling Iger out for saying actors were “unrealistic” after he took a private jet to a Billionaire’s Summer Camp.